


Praxis

by Katie_65



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Bodyswap, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-07
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-13 07:07:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29274432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katie_65/pseuds/Katie_65
Summary: A grave miscalculation leaves Kagome and Sesshomaru trapped in one another’s bodies at the worst possible time.
Relationships: Higurashi Kagome/Sesshoumaru
Comments: 15
Kudos: 65





	1. One

“Ugh, what is he doing?! He’s just getting in the way!” Kagome stomped her feet in frustration as she kept tracking the demon they were trying to kill through the demon they were arguably not trying to kill. If he didn’t get out of the way she might just amend that stance, Inuyasha could feel it in her tone. 

Sesshomaru was already in his true form when they got there so Inuyasha assumed the demon had been as troublesome for him as it had for the demon slayers. They had been on a week long round-Robin campaign to take it down. Sesshomaru was an unexpected ally, though when Inuyasha thought about it, he had been spending a lot of time around Kohaku these past few years. Maybe when Sango came to get them Kohaku had done the same with Sesshomaru. 

How didn’t really matter though. What mattered was that the demon kept turning into steam with every hit then reassembling, but not before being breathed in and wreaking some kind of havoc on the lungs. The slayers had their masks, Kagome could purify it before it got into her, but Sesshomaru was relying on strength. Inuyasha was a swing first kind of guy, but even he could tell this wasn’t working. 

“You big dumb dog! Your lungs are bigger like that and you’re just taking more in! Change back!” Inuyasha flinched. She was mad alright. Miroku always said he didn’t think Sesshomaru was particularly smart, especially when he was in his true form, but even if that were the case Kagome was going to get herself killed at this rate. 

On cue red eyes slanted her way and he paused mid stride. “Change back and come down here so we can make a plan!”

“Geeze Kagome it ain’t like he’s gonna listen, dummy! Just stay sharp and wait for an opening.” 

Inuyasha almost dropped his sword when Sesshomaru’s head swiveled their way and wheeled around white way. He did listen! The demon took that as it’s opening though. Steam puffed around Sesshomaru, thick and pale, he shook his great head, gnashed mighty jaws, but to no avail. Great puffs of air filled his lungs and a mixture of blood and acid sprayed out when he coughed. 

“Hold your breath. Trust me just a little.” Kagome’s knuckles were white on her bow as she quietly implored his brother to reason. ‘She has too much faith in him. She had too much faith in everyone.’ Inuyasha thought with a shake of his head.

Sesshomaru’s eyes cut her her again and then he was falling, not knocked out, just... falling. Legs pumping, tail trashing, eyes round with surprise, falling. 

“Kagome now!” Inuyasha shook himself out of his stupor, unleashing a Wind Scar at the steamy figure. They could check on Sesshomaru later. Or just leave him. 

No holy arrow joined the Wind Scar. He whirled on Kagome, who’s timing was near perfect, to find her just releasing the arrow. A normal, powerless arrow. The aim was a little off too. 

“What the hell was that?” She didn’t snap back at him, instead she just tilted her head to the side inspecting the bow gripped in her hand. 

Her eyes were glossed over, dazed as she stared at her hands. The bow clattered to the ground and she pulled her hair over her shoulder running her fingers through it. Inuyasha watched, dumbstruck, as she slowly reached the other hand up to cup a breast. 

“Whoa whoa whoa now is not the time. Snap out of it!” Inuyasha felt the heat rise to face as he reached to shake her shoulder, but she slapped his hand away. 

“Do not touch me.” Her voice was husky. Her words pronounced all wonky, formally. 

“What-“ he started before being interrupted by a guttural whine coming from below.

Together they edged to the side of the cliff where they watched Sesshomaru below struggling to stand. He didn’t look hurt, there was no blood anyway, besides the occasional dribble down the side of his mouth when he hacked. The great dog stood again, on hind legs, only to stumble forward ultimately landing on his side. The most pathetic sound Inuyasha had ever heard came from the valley below. 

“What the fuck? Oi! Sesshomaru get up!” Inuyasha turned to Kagome to suggest they head down, but she was already skidding down the side of the mountain. She landed on a foothold coiling to spring to the next. It was too far. There was no way she would make it. 

What a disaster, Inuyasha though as he leapt catching her around the waist before she killed herself. It was an easy few jumps for him to make it down. Carefully he let her slide to her feet and maybe his hand had strayed a little against her rear or stayed around her a little longer than it needed to, but that wasn’t anything odd. What was odd was the way she hauled off a punched him square in the jaw. 

“I said do not touch me half-breed.” He was stricken. He clutched his injured cheek and stared as she ran to Sesshomaru. She had never, ever, called him that. In fact, there was only one person who ever managed to put such hate into the word. And there she was, shushing and cooing over him as he tried to stand and fell again. A dark feeling curled it’s way around his heart at the sight. 

Inuyasha frowned pushing the feelings aside. Something was wrong. Sesshomaru whined again and Kagome grabbed him by his ear pulling his face close. 

“Undignified. Stop whining. Stand up and change us back.” Sesshomaru shook her off. 

He finally managed to stand though, sort of. He half crawled over to Inuyasha. Acrid breath fanned over the half-demon as his full blooded brother rubbed his massive cheek against Inuyasha’s entire body. The series of grunts and whines he was making could almost have been confused for human speech. If he hadn’t know better Inuyasha would have sworn he was saying ‘help me’. 

The misty demon was baring down on them again, in a more corporeal form. It was the best opportunity they had all day. Inuyasha realized, too late, that somewhere between Kagome punching him and Sesshomaru rubbing on him, he had dropped Tetsaiga. Frantically looking around he finally relaxed when he spotted Kagome not far with the sword in her hand. 

“Throw it! I can get him!” He yelled over the fur half covering his vision. When she looked at him he realized what was going on. The smile she gave him was not her’s. It wasn’t the smile that showed him love and understanding and patience and hung the moon in the sky. The smile she gave him was Sesshomaru’s twisted onto her beautiful face. 

Tetsaiga, the traitor, transformed in her hands. It took both hands to lift it. “Weak.” She scoffed her herself. Then she released an ‘Azure Dragon Wave’ from HIS Tetsaiga. The dragon roared, blue and pink sparked and sizzled around one another as it devoured the steam. 

Confident that he knew what was going on, Inuyasha pushed Sesshomaru’s head away, but not before giving him... her... a soft scratch under the jaw. 

“You’re not Kagome are you?” Inuyasha asked as he liberated her of his sword. She may be Sesshomaru but he could overtake him like this. 

“Hn, it would seem not.” He was inspecting her hands again, running fingers over her calloused palm, flexing her small slim fingers, feeling the muscles in her arms. 

“Would ya quit groping her!” Inuyasha finally snapped as his hands wandered too close to her chest. 

“Inuyasha, how have you let her become so frail?” His words were mumbled, but Inuyasha heard loud and clear. He did a few squats in her body then stood massaging the spot on her lower back that she always complained about hurting these days. “This discomfort...” 

“She’s human and a woman. She’s supposed to be frail.” The dog, Kagome, grumbled, but Inuyasha ignored her. Ears flat against his head he took his brother’s chiding. It wasn’t like he hadn’t had the thoughts himself. 

“Perhaps, but not all human women are in the positions you put her in regularly. Tell me little brother, is it her lack of discipline or your own desire to feel useful that has allowed her to remain so untrained?” Kagome growled this time. She was getting used to being a dog. 

“Keh, now ain’t the time. Switch back already.” Testsaiga safely returned to it’s sheath, Inuyasha made his way back to Kagome. She was standing now, getting the hang of moving the large body that she shouldn’t be in. Her tongue lulled out and with it acid. She shook her head and batted at her tongue with claw tipped paws. 

“Stop it. Control yourself woman.” Sesshomaru in Kagome’s body, honestly the more he thought about it the more Inuyasha’s head hurt, yanked one ear until she lowered her head. The acid that touched Kagome’s body sizzled but left her unharmed. Inuyasha could smell the purity rising up around her to ward it off. 

Sesshomaru reached up on his tippy toes and pressed Kagome’s forehead to his own. “Just push yourself in.” Kagome followed his orders a little too literally and Sesshomaru fell into his rear in the dirt. With more dignity than Kagome ever managed Sesshomaru stood and dusted himself off. 

“It is not working.” He growled too harshly with her human throat. His hands came up as he coughed and sputtered around the abused vocal cords. 

“No shit.” Kagome laid her head down in the dirt next to him, big red eyes imploring him without words to do something, to save her. He felt useless. “What happened? Was it the demon?” The fur on her snout was soft and cold as silk as he absently petted her to comfort them both. 

“Do not touch me.” Sesshomaru repeated. But this wasn’t him anymore, it was Kagome. And he didn’t have to listen Sesshomaru while he was in a human body, one that Inuyasha knew intimately. The smug smile that had worked it’s way onto his face slowly melted into a look of disgust the more he let that thought linger. “- it usually opens a link for communication. I have limited practice with humans, however.” Sesshomaru was saying. 

“YOU did this!?” Inuyasha couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Sesshomaru made a mistake. In any other circumstance it would be hilarious. After they were back in their bodies he would give Sesshomaru a good ribbing, but now it was beyond disastrous. 

“A miscalculation.” Nose high in the air he managed to make Kagome look smug. 

“Miscalculate yourself back in your own body then!” 

“I cannot. She has to do it. I know someone who may be able to help though.” He was turning in circles. Sniffing the air with a human nose. “Can’t smell anything.” He mumbled to himself. 

“I can smell just fine. Lets go find um then! What are we waiting for?” Inuyasha turned and crouched down to let Kagome climb on his back purely out of habit. 

He turned when he realized what he was doing just in time to see Sesshomaru swinging onto the back of the Kagome-dog. “You cannot go where we need to. Go home Inuyasha.” 

“What?! I ain’t gonna leave her like-“ Kagome looked at him, pleading, a soft whine came from deep in her chest and she nudged him with her snout. 

“I will return her unharmed.” He looked serious. Contrite even. His eyes were downcast and with a softer touch than Inuyasha had ever seen he ran his hands through the fur around Kagome’s ears. It was a calming gesture. 

Inuyasha whined himself and watched with ears pressed hard against his head as his brother led Kagome away with directions whispered softly against her ear.


	2. Two

Kagome curled tighter around the little body sleeping soundly in her fur. It was funny how easily all her confidence in the strong capable woman she had become was vanquished so easily when she looked at herself through these eyes. Still, wanted her little weak human body back. 

Being in Sesshomaru’s had its moments. The first leg of their journey was slow going. It was HARD coordinating four legs to walk, running had seemed impossible at first. So they had lumbered along until Sesshomaru lost his patience and snapped at her to stop overthinking and just let go. She did then, she let muscle memory and the body itself take over and was able to walk. Then she ran. Then it was impossible to stop running. 

Running scared her. When she ran it was easy to forget that she was Kagome. The more she ran the harder it become to focus her thoughts. This body wanted to run. It wanted to run-jump-fight-eat-kill-be free and when she gave it a taste of that it was like she went into the background. She was free and it felt good. 

Thankfully Sesshomaru was there to pull her back. She had to force him to stop for the night. As the temperatures dropped she could see mighty puffs of breath coming from her nose and mouth. She could feel him burrowing closer to the thick fur at her nape shivering against her skin. 

Pink rays of early morning sun finally reached her through the trees surrounding the rocky burrow where they had hunkered down for the night. It was time to go. Carefully, because occasionally acid dropped from her jaw on accident, she nudged Sesshomaru awake. Was it Sesshomaru snoring or her body? That would be mystery for another time. Shippo never complained about snoring so it must be him. Kagome was fairly certain she did not snore. 

He pushed her muzzle away with a muffled curse that was kind of cute in her soft feminine pitch. He groaned and stretched cracking his back. He started at the sound and looked to her, at her lack of concern he took stock of the rest of her body. The knee she hurt playing volleyball ball in high school must have been hurting him. It always ached on cold mornings. She blew some warm air on it from her nose.

“These bones...” he trailed off with a yawn and another stretch. ‘Yah yah weak human bones.’ Kagome huffed as she stood on four legs and shook her fur out. 

He was probably hungry. He likely needed to use the bathroom. But instead he scaled her fur and without a word they continued their journey. He wasn’t used to slowing down. 

The forest bled into shades of brown and green, dark and light, as she ran. Sesshomaru occasionally gave direction, but it felt like they were going in circles for hours until something caught his eye and he directed her to stop. 

Above them a cumulus cloud formation that vaguely looked like a dog floated against azure sky. There was a scent, a feeling, a draw. The dark energy that swirled around her constantly seemed pulled toward the clouds like a funnel. She stopped with a whine looking up to the impossible height. She was going to need to fly when only yesterday walking had seemed so impossible. 

Sesshomaru understood her distress and from her back started and stopped trying to give instructions at least half a dozen times. “Run up.” He finally decided on. 

‘Run up?’ She thought craning her neck this way and that to get a better look at the clouds. ‘How do you run UP?’ 

Kagome took a few steps back, and boy was walking backwards on four legs hard, to get a running start and leaped. Legs pumped in the air, but the best she could manage was a delayed fall. From her back Sesshomaru made a frustrated noise pulling sharply on one ear. “Move away from the ground. Use my youki to... repel away from the song of the earth and toward the song from the sky.” 

Kagome’s nose scrunched up and she screwed her eyes closed. Song was an interesting choice of phrase because there was a thrum of energy that she could feel beating around them. It was a low constant hum that she felt from the soles of her feet, pads of her paws as it were. There was the torrent of wind, the constant din of dark energy that surrounded her then below that the deep thrum that must have been earth, turning her ear to the sky there was another sound. It was a slight melodic twinkling, like long thin steel wind chimes in a lazy spring breeze. 

Putting away conscious thought of gravity and matter Kagome focused on raging wind and escaping the thrum into the twinkling. And when she opened her eyes the ground was no longer under her feet. With a triumphant woof she took another step then another. ‘I’m flying!’ she thought then flying became gravity which became reality and she crashed back to the ground in a cloud of dirt and debris. 

From her back Sesshomaru grumbled and huffed. “Clumsy. Do it again.” 

It took half the day and more than a few scraped limbs, but when she did manage to fly and the earth fell away behind her a smug smile pulled at her canine lips. 

———————

The closer they got to the cloud formation the less of a cloud formation it became. There wasn’t a barrier or anything that she could feel, rather the clouds just sort of became eves and awnings and a grand castle nestled in the sky. Kagome bypassed the grand stairway that reminded her of her family’s shrine except wide enough to fit at least three Sesshomaru’s side by side, and landed instead in a bright courtyard that held nothing except a velvet throne atop a golden diases. 

Draped across the arms of the throne a demoness sat examining her nails.   
As soon as Kagome’s claws clacked against the crimson marble the demonesses attention snapped to her. In a flurry of silk and fur she approached. 

“Dearest, must I remind you, no claws on the floors. If you scratch them I will remove all four of your limbs this time.” There was a hard smack against the soft sensitive skin of her nose. With a whine she brought her head down and buried in behind her forepaws. 

The demoness gasped behind her upraised sleeve at the sign of submission. “Do not show her weakness.” Sesshomaru chiddled from her back before sliding down to meet the demoness. ‘Mother’ she understood from somewhere deep inside. Even if it weren’t for the striking resemblance there was a scent, and instinctual knowing, that gave away the demoness’ identity. 

“You always bring home the strangest ... things...” her words trailed off as she watched Sesshomaru align himself with Kagome’s snout and place a calming hand on the stripe near her mouth. Her head cocked to the side, golden eyes sifted through emotion from surprise to understanding and finally mirth. She looked from Kagome to Sesshomaru, landing on the daiyoukai who was now a priestess, “What have you done my fool of a son?”


	3. Chapter 3

“Well of naturally it would work with the human child! She is twice dead and revived by your hand. Her soul is hardly whole. Your power has filled the gaps for years. Same goes for the taijiya boy!” Kagome listened to the daiyoukai argue with her head resting on her paws. She had been none too gently instructed to stay where she was lest she scratch the marble while mother and son duked it out. 

Sesshomaru’s mother was a force to be reckoned with, but there was something wholly amusing in watching her argue with Sesshomaru in her own body. The demoness was once again draped in her thrown, sitting was hardly the right word to describe the way she occupied the seat, while Sesshomaru stood in front of her with his arms crossed awkwardly to accommodate the new addition of breasts to his body language. 

“If you cannot or will not help I will seek out other council.” He answered her berating for the third time. 

The demoness pinched the bridge of her nose. “You and I are the only two Inuyoukai alive with that ability. Although I should amend that to only I because obviously you have learned nothing.” 

Sesshomaru’s answering growl ended with a cough. 

“You cannot push yourself into human minds.” She repeated. “Sharing consciousness is an art. We are made up of energy but the human mind is a thing of blood and matter.” The explanation was aimed at Kagome this time so she nodded her understanding. “The human child and taijia have incomplete souls so you may have some influence over them but this human’s soul hardly manages to fit in it’s own vessel I imagine. That you would think to even attempt such a thing is an insult to centuries of tutelage.” 

“She is a simple mortal-“ 

“Simple! She is a priestess!” 

“She is my half-brother’s lover! She has had plenty of exposure to demonic-“ 

“Her soul is filling your true form in it’s entirety-“ 

“You will teach her to change us back.” 

Sesshomaru’s mother laughed and there was a vein of cruelty beneath the high twinkle. “It took you hundreds of years to gain the skill to share consciousness with baser demons. Do you think you have the time for that in this mortal flesh? Imagine the talk, the great Lord Sesshomaru has made a mistake-“ 

“I know!” A flash of purity reverberated through the courtyard stinging the energy around Kagome and making her fur stand on end. With a whine she nudged him. His hand in her fur, he calmed his ragged breathing. 

“Do. Not. Do. That. Again.” His mother forced out through clenched teeth. With a heavy sigh she slumped back into her throne. “I will do what I must, but you have terrible timing. There is a delegation set to arrive this evening.” 

The demoness rose from her seat and glided to Kagome. In a rush of howling wind she transformed into a white dog that was a match in size to her own. Mindful of her claws she approached and pressed their brows together. Wind howled around them, Kagome felt hers, tumultuous and powerful against the smooth glide of Sesshomaru’s mother’s. She always thought Sesshomaru’s youki was smothering in its sheer power, but his mother’s was even greater. Instead of forcing though, it cajoled. Power swirled together teasing and pulling, pushing and molding. Her eyes drifted closed as she surrendered to the machinations of the more powerful youki. 

When she opened her eyes it was to the proud topaz eyes of Sesshomaru’s mother back in her more humanoid form. With a gasp Kagome took a step back, separating their foreheads, on two legs. On two legs! She had legs! And arms! Hands with thumbs! “Thank you!” She spoke, high on the discovery of a mouth that could speak! 

“Oh it is frightening to see such emotion on your face Sesshomaru.” The demoness retreated to her chair and hid her mouth behind a silk sleeve. 

Sesshomaru looked at her with unveiled disgust and his mother with a mixture of humor and strangely placed nostalgia, but There nothing Kagome could do to conceal the grin that pained the face that wasn’t her own. 

————-

“I’m not really tired so I can just-“

“I am tired. You will sleep here.” Sesshomaru interrupted. 

They had eaten a dinner of fruit while Sesshomaru’s mother watched on with her head resting on her steepled hands, before he announced they were retiring for the evening. He knew his way through the castle so that was nice, but he didn’t treat her to a tour. Instead he bee-lined straight for a wing that held a few rooms that she would have liked to been able to explore, to the last room in the hall. 

It was a simple room, a futon, stark white screens keeping a corner secret, a couple of chests in a surprising state of disarray, and a low table cluttered with various containers. Kagome peeked around the screen to find clothes hanging over a mirror and a few articles of rumpled silk on the floor. He had helped her out of her armor and swords which rather than hanging on the rack he simply left on the floor where they fell. Sesshomaru, she realized, was kind of messy. 

With a secret smile she turned to find him sprawled on the futon one arm slung over his eyes. “You cannot be trusted to wonder here and the delegation cannot see you like this. They will know something is amiss and I cannot afford them knowing this house is not at full power. You will sleep while I sleep.” He gestured to the other side of the bed.

“I’m not tired though. I don’t think your body needs much sleep.” She sat on the futon anyway with her back against the wall and every inch of space available between them. 

“Hn it does not. But this one does. Close your eyes and rest.” His voice was wispy, on the cusp of dreaming. 

Kagome sat for awhile and eventually laid down as his breathing evened out and became soft snores. Her mind still reeled with surreal-ness of it all. It took effort to quiet it. She clenched and unclenched every muscle, focused on her breathing, let her mind wonder. 

She must have drifted off because she woke sometime later when a limb strayed to her side of the bed. He was snoring, loud and deeply. A high pitch grinding came from his jaw and she realized he must be grinding her teeth in his sleep. Slowly, carefully, she reached a claw tipped finger out and ran it along his jaw, her jaw, and sure enough the the muscle was tightly clenched. 

Sesshomaru was a sprawler in his sleep where Kagome was a clinger. She liked being the big spoon, it was how she slept with Shippo, also a sprawler, clutched tightly in her arms. On the rare occasions she shared her sleeping bag with Sango and later a futon with Rin she was always the one wrapped tightly around them. Even Inuyasha, although he preferred to sleep half sitting with his back to the wall and ears pointed toward the door, she would wrap herself around his leg and waist to hold on through the night. Now she wrapped her larger body around his small fragile one and it felt nice. The tighter she held the less he clenched as she drifted back to sleep. 

The next time she woke she was alone. She laid there for awhile watching the dust mites dance in the late morning sun. She studied claws and silver hair. She discovered toes and spent a good deal of time sliding skin over bone and poking at the sharp tips of his toenails. 

When she got bored of that she rose and found the mirror behind the screen. She wiped away the thin layer of dust that marred its surface with a crumpled pair of pants. She studied his face, her face, in the mirror. It was so strange seeing a face so familiar yet somehow not. Her expressions changed his otherwise stoic continence, twisted it into a face that was kind and endearing. It was the same golden eyes that cut her with their apathy except now they were soft and kind. His normally smooth forehead wrinkled with her surprise and delight. Fangs flashed when she smiled. The sight shocked a laugh out of her which made her smile bigger and there, on the left side if she smiled big enough, his cheek indented with a dimple. 

Kagome peeked around the screen and he still wasn’t back so she felt emboldened with her explorations of his/her body. Shrugging out of layers of silk she realized he was thinner than she thought. Without the armor and fur adding to his bulk his shoulders were almost more narrow than Inuyasha’s, his waist and hips leaner. Soft pale skin covered hard defined muscle. Her hand lingered a moment on the v of her pelvic bone and the magenta stripes that accentuated it. Fingers ghosted over the stripes. Flesh pimpled and a laugh exploded from her. They were ticklish! 

She flexed an arm behind her head watching the play of sinuey muscle under hairless skin. His armpits were silky smooth in a way that made her face turn down in a pout. He didn’t even have to work of it. Not fair. 

The door leading outside clacked open. Kagome whirled, knocking over the screen separating the dressing area from the rest of the room. If she was clumsy in her own body this one was bigger and gave her more space to be clumsy in. Sesshomaru stood in the doorway in a white dressing robe with his hand tangled in dark wet hair and a scowl on his face. 

“You took a bath? Ohhhhh you better not have looked at anything! I can’t believe you!” He raised a brow at her standing before him half naked, caught. 

“Would you rather be dirty? Shall I return this body to you ill and filthy? Would it be preferable if I refrain from relieving myself as well?” He made a frustrated noise in his throat and rippeded his hair-tangled fingers free. “Does it never dry?” 

“Is that where you’ve been? Stop tugging at it! Give me a towel.” 

He was surprisingly docile as he handed her the towel and she instructed him to flip over so she could scrunch it dry. 

“Rin’s hair always dried in a timely manner. There is something wrong with yours.” He groused. 

“Her hair was shorter back then, and thinner.” Kagome replied distractedly. There was something... a scent. She leaned in closer. “What is that smell?” 

It wasn’t as if she hadn’t been noticing the overwhelming amount of scents until now, they were a constant background noise that she could compartmentalize and shut out. But this was different. It was bright and clean and new and it made her mouth water. Her face had gotten closer to Sesshomaru’s and he watched her through a waterfall of black as he slowly let his head tilt to the side giving her better access. 

Her nose pressed to the skin behind his ear, her ear, and a sound rumbled from deep in his chest, her chest. The towel slipped through her claws and she jerked back startled by herself. She felt the heat rising to her cheeks as he bent to retrieve the towel. 

“What does it smell like?” He watched her for reaction and clucked his tongue when he saw how her fingers tangled together in worry. 

“I-you-smell good. Sun. Rain.” She shook her head, there weren’t words to describe. “You didn’t smell like that last night. It is soap?” 

“No. You smelled like Inuyasha until I washed him off.” He took over the towel drying and seemed pleased with the results. 

She watched him fuss with her hair while she tried to make sense of the smells with his sensitive nose. She smelled food somewhere, fruit. And a tangy scent that she decided was his mother. His body smelled sweet and ripe like poison. She could smell other people, other demons in the castle as well. There was a vague scent coming from where he had lain the night before that smelled like rich sun dappled soil, Inuyasha. Somehow it was oddly repulsive. 

“Go bathe while the water is warm.” He nodded toward the outer door. 

With a sniff she followed the scent of water and wet wood to beyond the door. Outside a round wooden tub sat on a balcony that dropped off to nowhere. Steam danced in the morning air beckoning her to it’s warmth. Beside it was a lower, much smaller wooden bucket that upon closer inspection was bottomed with an endless dark hole. 

“Sesshomaru, where does the water come from?” He shrugged. “Is that other one a bathroom? Where does it go?” This time he nodded and shrugged from where he sat cross legged at the table of various jars and containers. 

Pondering the low bucket she was struck with a terrible realization. “Sesshomaru, I have to pee.”


	4. Chapter 4

“You have to wrap them!” 

“They are fine.” 

“They are going to fall out!” 

“They are not as loose -“ 

“Shut up! Fine! Your back’s going to hurt tomorrow. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” He huffed his lack of concern returning his attention to the ties of the armor he was helping her into. Kagome did her best to pay attention to each loop and pull and thought that maybe next time she could to it herself. 

The way he was bent over gave her a clear view down the front of the low cut tunic he had donned. The sides weren’t hemmed, held together with a bright red sash that he had pondered over for a good 15 minutes, leaving the sides of her breasts exposed. 

‘Mother is late. We will train in the meantime.’ He had announced before setting his attention on getting her dressed. Despite her insistence that he allow her the same courtesy he wouldn’t budge on the breast binding. 

Kagome worried a claw between her teeth as she focused on the more ornate knots he was making with the sash that served as the final piece of his armor. She could manage the cuirass but these knots were ridiculous. He would make an excellent sailor. 

“Stop that.” He swatted her hand away from her mouth then stepped back to inspect his work. With a nod of approval he bent to retrieve his swords. “Follow me.” 

“Where are we going?” Rather than struggling to keep up Kagome felt the struggle to keep down as they made their way through the winding halls of the castle. Her legs were so much longer! 

Sesshomaru slid back a screen to reveal a swamp. Skeletal trees reached toward murky water all plunged into shades of grey and black despite the sun that shone earlier. The place smelled like rotting things. 

“- she will find us when she is ready. Until then we will do our best to get you accustomed to sword play.” Sesshomaru was saying when the door snapped shut with a clack. Then he turned to the door directly behind them and slid it open to a field of green grass overlooked by rolling hills. An endless blue sky stretched above with not a cloud in sight. This place smelled much better, like sweat and spring. 

He stepped through the door unconcerned about the how’s or why’s a castle in the sky might have a door to a field. Or a swamp, she looked behind her at the other warily, but followed him through. Behind her the doorway stood in the field surrounded by nothing, not frame, no wall, no house, just an open door. 

“What is this?” She asked turning in a slow circle, thankful that the door was just where they left it. 

“A training field.” He gestured to the racks of weapons and wooden structures that littered the field. 

“But how?” Her answer was a one shouldered shrug. 

He made his way from rack to rack stopping at one that held and array or swords of varying length. He chose one of mid-length and pulled it from its sheath. He tested the balance and weight with a few practice swings and found it wanting. He repeated the process with a few different styles of sword, some he would swing, those he liked better he he cut the air in a series of loops and jabs. Some he tossed and caught one handed with practiced grace. 

He finally settled on a nagitnata rather than a sword. She wasn’t surprised that he handled the weapon with the same efficacy as the swords. It allowed for greater distance he explained while stubbornly bypassing the rack of bows. 

Kagome chose a sword herself, the largest one on the rack. She didn’t bother testing the balance as it was light in her hands. She had picked up a trick or two from Sango. Overconfidently she spun the sword around letting it balance on the back of her hand then tossed it. She over calculated the speed and strength she inherited and the sword tumbled to the ground. 

“Draw Baksaiga.” He instructed with a raised brow, amusement dancing on the edges of the command. 

The difference between Baksaiga and the practice sword was evident the moment she wrapped her hand around the hilt. It fit in her hand like a long lost friend and when the metal sung free of the sheath it sung the song of a lover. Naturally she had heard the story of how it came from him along with his left arm, and was disappointed to have missed the event. But, she didn’t understand until that moment. Raw power surged through her body and she also understood his fear that she might try to keep it. 

Kagome inhaled slowly letting the power settle in her gut. She was powerful too. With a long slow exhale she remembered. She remembered the the draw, the almost scrape of the string against her nose, the focus, the pull of power from the bottomless well inside her. The rush air around her cheek when the string released and the thwack that reverberated through her bones. That beautiful rush of power leaving like the earth was exhaling with her when her arrow cut through the air. 

She opened her eyes to Sesshomaru watching her keenly. “Why are we doing this?” She asked her voice deep and husky, richer than anything she had ever heard from him. 

“We do not know how long we will be like this. You need to be able to defend yourself.” He paused for a moment, his gaze now trained in the sword in her hand, “and me.” 

————

“Again. Harder.” Green lighting tinged with pink exploded from the blade. Seeking and finding nothing it dissipated with a hiss. Smoke rose from the singed grass that smelled like sickly sweet poison and burnt hair. 

“Well well, that is an interesting development.” Sesshomaru’s mother glided through the doorway in a slip and slide of silk and fur. Over the stench of baksaiga’s destruction Kagome tried to catagorize her’s. She smelt like death and life and something intangible. 

He must have seen her nose twitch with the effort to place the scent. “Midnight.” He supplied and she filed it away. 

“You still retain some of your power. Reiki and youki. Sesshomaru?” He nodded while his mother took stock of them, slowly running her eyes over both of them. In one hand she held a golden fan which she snapped open and closed unconsciously. 

“This makes things....” clack clack clack. A claw scraped against the dark jewel hanging around her neck. 

“Easier?” Kagome hoped. Her hand drifted toward her mouth but Sesshomaru batted it away before she could bite the nail. 

“Harder?” His question held no affection. 

His mother ignored them both pacing in a slow circle around them. “Hn.” Clack clack clack the fan chimed. 

When the tension got too much Kagome bend down to Sesshomaru’s ear, “is it good or bad?” She whispered. 

As his mother finished her round he assessed her in return with narrowed eyes. “Undecided.” He whispered back. The grave tone of his voice carried a long suffering undertone. Kagome couldn’t help the smile that bloomed. 

The fan snapped shut with a resounding crack. A finality. “I have little time for you today. The delegation waits. Tomorrow you will need to meet with them so take this day to teach her to stop doing that.” She gestured to Kagome’s still upturned lips. “That is so disconcerting.” She turned her attention fully to Sesshomaru. “She needs to learn how to control your youki. She is like a child in your body. Understanding how we work is the first step.” As she made her exit with a sway of slim hips she turned over her shoulder, “tonight we will dine and pray she is a decent actor.”


End file.
